Monday, November 23, 2009

WINONA, Minn. — The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts will present the Winona Area Youth Singers (WAYS) in a winter concert — featuring music from around the world — on Sunday, Dec. 6.

The concert will be held at 1:30 p.m. at the Valéncia Arts Center Recital Hall, 1164 West 10th St. The program will include folk music from the Pacific Rim, Africa, Europe and the Americas, and concludes with some traditional Christmas carols.

“The singers have been working hard and are excited to perform songs from different cultures and in different languages,” said Lindsy O’Shea, WAYS director.

Reserved tickets are not necessary. Admission is $10 at the door for adults; cash and checks are accepted. Admission is free for children and students ages 2-21.

In addition to the winter concert, the group will be participating in holiday caroling throughout the Winona community on Monday, Dec. 7.

WAYS members are students in grades four through eight from Winona and the surrounding areas. The youth choir started its second year this past September and has been rehearsing a variety of choral material.

WAYS is the official youth choir of the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts. WAYS is dedicated to providing quality, artistic and educational vocal music experiences for all young people, regardless of their financial circumstances.

WAYS is tuition-free to all students in the 2009-10 academic year, courtesy of a grant from Saint Mary’s University Friends of the School of the Arts. Registration and placement auditions to join WAYS for semester II are Monday, Jan. 4, 2010.

For more information about WAYS or MCA’s other performing arts programming, visit www.mnconservatoryforthearts.org, e-mail mca@smumn.edu or call (507) 453-5501. The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts is an affiliate program of Saint Mary’s University.

About Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is dedicated to advancing the educational and career goals of today’s students. Saint Mary’s has almost 5,700 students enrolled in undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs in Winona, the Twin Cities, greater Minnesota, Wisconsin and Nairobi, Kenya.

At Saint Mary’s 100-year-old residential campus in Winona, the undergraduate College curriculum combines traditional liberal arts and sciences with career preparation in a student-centered environment.

The Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs is one of the largest graduate schools in Minnesota. A pioneer in outreach education since 1984, the SGPP creates communities of learning when and where they are needed, serving both adult learners and the educational needs of society.